Oeufs en Meurette (Poached Eggs in a Red Wine Sauce)

Oeufs en Meurette 

(Poached Eggs in a Red Wine Sauce)

Cooking Club’s theme this month was “wine” since we all love it so much!  Our cooking club rules are that you need to “cook something outside of your comfort zone.”  This French dish was definitely a challenge, and I loved every second of it. Once you’ve learned how to poach an egg, then you are capable of making this dish.

Meurette sauce is a classic French sauce of concentrated red wine, stock, and vegetables.  This can also be used to cook or serve over fish. (There is also a white wine version.)

I’m going to be honest now, it’s not the most beautiful dish. When you poach the eggs in the red wine, it adds flavor but a kind of weird purple color, but does get covered by the rich wine sauce at the end. However, I will be making this one again!

Ingredients: 

·         8 fresh eggs

·         1 bottle Pinot Noir (fruity)

·         2 cups beef stock

·         1 onion, thinly sliced

·         1 carrot, thinly sliced

·         1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

·         1 garlic clove, crushed

·         3  thyme sprigs

·         Bay leaf

·         salt and pepper

For the Garnish

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced 

·         2 pieces of bacon, diced

·         10 to 15 baby onions, peeled

For the Croûtes 

·         8 slices of white bread, 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick

·         Butter

For thickening the sauce

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         2 tablespoons flour

Directions: 

Bring the wine and stock to a boil in a large shallow pan. Break four eggs, one by one, and slowly place into wine. Lower the heat and poach the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until the yolks are firm out on the outside. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and rest on paper towel. Poach the other eggs the same way.

You can trip off the edges of these eggs to make them
look 'neater.' Also, Farm Fresh eggs will keep their
shape better than these store-bought. 

To the wine/stock, add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf.  Simmer until reduced by half, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add butter and mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove mushrooms, and add bacon until cooked.  Drain bacon on paper towel. Add baby onion and sauté them until brown and tender (10-15 minutes.)  Add the mushrooms and bacon back in, then set aside.

To make the croûtes (bread pieces for the base), cut the bread into 8 shapes just larger than the poached egg. Toast bread until crusty. Bread with butter. Set aside.

To thicken the sauce, the original recipe says to “crush the butter on a plate with a fork and work in the flour to form a soft paste. Whisk this kneaded butter, a piece at a time.”  I just put in a few tablespoons of butter to mix (since my guests were already there!)  Sauce needs to be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.  Strain the carrots, onions, etc, pressing out the juices into the red wine sauce.  Boil, taste, and adjust seasoning. 

I like the purple hue - Trim edges
to clean up the dish

To serve, reheat eggs by placing them in hot water for 1 minute.  Layer items as the bread, followed by the poached egg, garnish the mushrooms/onions, and spoon wine sauce over top. 

Perfectly Poached Egg - Yeah!

source information

Epicurious  | October 2001

Anne Willan

Cooking with Wine

Recipes are reprinted from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

In association with COPIA, The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts.

Recipes are reprinted from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. In association with COPIA, The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Poached-Eggs-in-a-Red-Wine-Sauce-105463#ixzz2des0E1gO